Episode 1 begins…
Let me introduce you to someone today:
A girl with dreams as vast as the ocean and a spirit as unyielding as a mountain.
A girl who hated being a girl during her childhood, and now celebrates her womanhood and takes pride in empowering and inspiring other women…
A girl from a small town who not only went on to become the first doctorate, first author, and many firsts in her family but made her presence on the global stage and is making a difference in the lives of many today…
This is the story of how a girl from a small town and a challenging economic background navigated a world that often seemed determined to challenge every step she took and laughed at every choice she made…
For several years of my childhood, I hated being a girl. Born in a conservative family of 3 girl children, brought up by a single mother, our childhood was rough. My dreams were big. I wanted to go for higher studies, but the truth was I couldn’t afford even a simple graduation. Besides, society (relatives and friends) left no stone unturned to tell us that, at the end of the day I am a girl, and keeping in mind my financial status I should just complete my graduation and end up marrying a well-to-do man.
My childhood and youth were constantly pushed and pulled by cultural and societal expectations, and every decision from choosing to pursue engineering to dreaming about doing something big in life, was questioned.
Today, as I look back at my life, I realize, it was not the hardships or the challenges that I hated.
Now, I understand, I didn’t hate being a girl, but I disliked being treated as inferior and unequal. I hated being asked not to dream big…
I grew up hearing this phrase often from my relatives and society – “Cut your Coat according to your Cloth”
And while I was a disciplined and studious child, I was equally a rebellious and inquisitive child on the inside. I did not believe in giving up on dreams. Perhaps, this was something I inherited from my mother. She is as strong as a hurricane.
In a specific moment etched in my memory, I recall receiving counsel for nearly three hours from a respected elder in the community. She passionately discussed the reasons I should reconsider my plan to pursue further education in a distant city. She emphasized the potential benefits for both the family and my personal life. Probably, her intentions were rooted in genuine concern.
I attentively listened to her perspective without voicing any objections. However, upon returning home, I confided in my mother, sharing my newfound conviction: “I believe it’s time for me to leave home and chase after my dreams.”
There are several such moments where contrary opinions or criticism served as even greater motivation for me to relentlessly pursue my aspirations. Hence I say, I am a rebel in mind.
There were also moments in my youth specifically when I felt uncomfortable with who I was. There were moments when I questioned my actions and lived in guilt. There were moments when I felt everyone around me was happy and here I was struggling even for basics. I would feel hurt and at times even avoid talking to people.
Thankfully those feelings were temporary. Things changed. I learned to embrace and learn from the challenges and uncertainties of life. I realized they made me stronger.
However, most of my life I believed in this principle- Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. I have several stories wherein I had to make hard choices and step out of my comfort zone.
I remember 15 years back in 2008, I got campus placement in a top IT firm in the country and got my first Job in Navi Mumbai…
I was happy (after all what could be better than getting a secured job in a reputed company while I was still in the third year of my engineering degree)
But…I wasn’t contented from within…I wanted to do something different…
What did Subra wish to do differently? Stay connected to find out.
